Betty Magnolia Shrub

As low as $59.99 was $79.99
Availability: In stock
SKU
9852

Big Fragrant Flowers Sweet Little Betty Magnolia

  • Blooms Later Than Other Varieties
  • More Reliable Flower Show Even in Frosty Climates
  • White and Purple Cup Shaped Flowers
  • Heavenly Scent
  • Shrubby Habit Great for Flowering Privacy Screen
  • Lush Summer Foliage
  • Perfect for Smaller Gardens

People love Magnolia trees for their gorgeous blooms and heavenly scent. However, some varieties can get quite large. If you want to grow a smaller, more compact variety that still knocks your socks off with outstanding spring flowers, you will be thrilled to meet Betty Magnolia (Magnolia x 'Betty').

Betty was developed at the National Arboretum in the 1950's as part of the Little Girl Series of hybrid Magnolias. These small, shrubby trees were cunning little crosses between Lily Magnolia (Magnolia liliiflora Nigra) and Star Magnolia (Magnolia stellata). Betty has a useful, petite size and frost-resistant flower power.

She may be small, but Betty still packs a punch with her full-sized blooms. The red-purple flowers showcase a rich, deep color on the outside and feature pure white interiors. This annual floral display is an incredible welcome to the new growing season.

A wonderful, compact, size for modern lots, Betty is covered with sweet pointed buds from top to bottom. The buds swell and bloom in early spring on bare branches, just as the tender new leaves are starting to unfurl.

Betty blooms a few weeks later than other Magnolia varieties. Northern gardeners love this later season, as those yucky old pesky frosts can hurt earlier bloomers. Betty is a more reliable variety for colder climates.

As her cup shaped flowers fully develop into their mature, open form, the new spring foliage emerges with a coppery hue. It will then deepen to a deep forest green for a lush, full summer coat. In fall, the attractive lance shaped leaves turn bronze for another pretty display.

Dont be surprised to see Betty produce a few flowers sporadically here and there during the summer and fall. Snip off the buds if you catch them early and bring them inside to bloom in a special vase.

There are so many reasons to love Betty Magnolia. Shes a charming addition to even the tightest yards. Order yours today!

How to Use Betty Magnolia in the Landscape

There are many ways to enjoy this pretty, carefree good time gal. Betty makes a wonderful, pretty flowering privacy screen at your property line. What a nice way to extend the height of your hardscaped fencing!

To create a solid screen, where the canopies will grow together, plant your Betties 6 feet apart on center. Youll measure from the center of one to the center of the next shrub.

No one said a hedge has to be stick straight. Try a curving hedge or loose triangular planting. Farmers have planted their windbreaks in a staggered zig-zagging double row for generations to achieve a solid screen faster.

Play around with your design on paper first and have some fun. Why not create special places in your backyard where you can entertain family and friends? Plants can bring your plan to life.

Try a few shrubs planted close together behind your patio seating to gently screen out the neighbors. Or use Betty in a nice, mixed hedgerow with summer flowering Rose of Sharon, and evergreen Yews and Arborvitae. Youll create an easy sense of privacy around your pool deck.

Hide the more utilitarian areas of your yard with a few Betties or use longer hedges in a rectangle to create a private Secret Garden. Imagine hosting wonderful dinner parties surrounded by a living green wall. Add an outdoor dining table and chairs, a fun chandelier and two of our Rose trees placed on either side of the entrance to amplify the experience for your guests.

For privacy, keep the lower limbs and allow the foliage to fill in all the way to the ground for the biggest impact. Youll love the friendly, flowering fence of this tall, informal hedge.

Betty can also become a lovely small specimen tree. Simply remove the lower limbs to raise the canopy and expose the trunk. Try one at the corner of your house to anchor your foundation planting. Plant just one in the lawn to frame a small bungalow or cottage.

Add one or more to the sunny side of tall evergreen trees. Youll soften the look and give Betty a little protection from the worst of the winter winds. Civilize your windbreaks and shelterbelts with these magnificent spring flowering shrubs.

Pair with other small Magnolia varieties, like Ann, Butterflies and Star Magnolia for a thrilling collection. Plant them in a loose, informal grouping for a wonderful spring display.

#ProPlantTips for Care

Betty Magnolia tolerates almost any soil, but is best grown in moist, organically rich, acidic, well-drained loam in full sun to part shade. Plant it in a location protected from high winds.

Betty was bred to be smaller than other Magnolias and bloom later than them too. She is less apt to suffer frost damage in spring. However, its a good idea to avoid southern exposures close to houses, as the buds may be tricked by the heat and light to open too early in spring.

Please be patient with Betty. It may take her 2 to 3 years to flower as her root systems get established in your soil. Dont worry, she is worth the wait.

Order yours today!

Tree Form vs. Shrub Form

The details make all the difference in a garden. At Naturehills.com, we understand that little things like what form a plant is can greatly impact how you plan your landscape. So before you buy, don’t forget to check which form you’re getting.

Tree Form: 

These are plants that have one stem coming from the ground. Plants can also be considered single stem when lower branches are removed to raise the height of the branching to a more desired height. Sometimes, you will hear a tree form referred to as a single stem.

Shrub Form:

These are bushy plants with many stems and branchings close to the ground. They are referred to as shrubs or bushes and are often shorter than their tree forms. 

Buying Options for Plants

Nature Hills sells a large variety of plants with several options available. Plants are offered in both potted containers and as dormant bare root without soil. Here is a helpful resource to understand your options as you create a beautiful landscape with help from Nature Hills.

Ever wonder what a larger plant will mean for your landscape? Container Sizes are really all about the age of the plant!

Seasonally, Nature Hills offers hand selected, high quality bare root trees, shrubs and perennials. Bare root plants are sold by height from the top of the root system to the top of the plant. Plants may be taller than the height minimums.

  • Popular sizes of select trees are 1 foot, 2 feet, 3 feet, etc.
  • Popular sizes of select bare root plants is 1 foot, 18 inches, etc.

Nature Hills Container Size by Volume

Keep in mind, specific varieties and different growing conditions can affect the rate at which plants grow. Variations in size may occur.

Young Plants to 18 Months
Size Volume
2"x2"x3" Ranges from .18 to .21 dry quarts / .198 to .23 dry liters in volume
4.5" Container Equal to .65 dry quart / .72 dry liter in volume
Sprinter Pot Equal to .63 dry quart / .69 dry liter in volume
4" Container Ranges from .31 to .87 / .35 to .96 dry liter in volume
6" Container Equal to 1.4 dry quarts / 1.59 dry liters in volume
1 Quart Equal to 1 dry quart / 1.1 dry liter in volume
5.5" Container Equal to 1.89 of a dry quart / 2.08 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x5" Ranges from .8 to 1.1 dry quarts / .88 to 1.2 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x6" Ranges from 1.0 to 1.3 dry quarts / 1.1 to 1.41 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x9" Ranges from 1.1 to 2.1 dry quarts / 1.2 to 2.3 dry liters in volume
4"x4"x10" Ranges from 1.7 to 2.3 dry quart / 1.87 to 2.53 dry liters in volume
Plants 18 Months - 2.5 Years Old
Size Volume
2 Quart Equal to 2 dry quarts / 2.2 dry liters in volume
#1 Container Ranges from 2.26 to 3.73 dry quarts / 2.49 to 4.11 dry liters in volume
5"x5"x12" Equal to 3.5 to 4.3 dry quarts / 3.85 to 4.74 dry liters in volume
Plants 2 - 4 Years Old
Size Volume
#2 Container Ranges from 1.19 to 1.76 dry gallons / 5.24 to 7.75 dry liters in volume
#3 Container Ranges from 2.32 to 2.76 dry gallons / 10.22 to 12.16 dry liters in volume
Plants 3 - 5 Years Old
Size Volume
#5 Container Ranges from 2.92 to 4.62 dry gallons / 12.86 to 20.35 dry liters in volume
#6 Container Ranges from 5.25 to 6.01 dry gallons / 23.12 to 26.42 dry liters in volume
#7 Container Ranges from 5.98 to 6.08 dry gallons / 26.34 to 26.78 dry liters in volume

About Plant Sentry™

Plant Sentry is designed to protect both consumers and the nursery trade from invasive plant pests and diseases. Sites that display the Plant Sentry protection badge are protected from consumers buying and nurseries shipping material carrying invasive pests and diseases.

This proprietary eCommerce software prevents the shipment of a restricted plant to each state. The Plant Sentry system includes a shipment certification program. The Plant Sentry Compliance Officer works closely with NatureHills.com and each nursery or fulfillment center to ensure only compliant plants are sold to customers.

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Plant Sentry

Shipping

To obtain a more accurate shipment time-frame, simply enter your zip code in the “Find Your Growing Zone” box to the right. Our plants are grown all over the country and lead time on items may be different because of this. Once your order is placed, you will also receive the specific shipment time-frame information as part of your order confirmation. Once an item ships, you will receive shipment notification and tracking numbers, so you can follow along while your plant travels to your doorstep. We use FedEx, UPS, or USPS at our discretion.

Due to winter weather we have put a hold on shipping to the areas shown below in grey. You can still order now and we will ship the plant to you during an appropriate time for your zone.

*If you have found your zone already, it will be highlighted in the table below.
Color Zone Times
3 Spring 2019
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Shipping Rates

At Nature Hills we handle, package and ship the products you order with the utmost care to ensure healthy delivery. Shipping and handling charges are calculated based on the tables below. Please note that some items include an additional handling surcharge, these will be noted on the item's product page.

From To S&H
0 - 19.99 24.99
20 - 49.99 29.99
50 - 69.99 34.99
70 - 99.99 39.99
100 - 129.99 44.99
130 - 149.99 48.99
150 - 150+ Approx 28%

Click here to see our full rates

PLANT HIGHLIGHTS

Betty Magnolia Shrub Is Suited to Grow in Zones 3-8
Growing Zones 3-8
More Information
Brand Nature Hills' Choice
Botanical Name Magnolia 'Betty'
Type Deciduous
Mature Height 12 - 15 feet
Mature Spread 10 - 12 feet
Sun Exposure Full Sun
Soil Well Drained
Moisture Medium
Growth Rate Medium
Foliage Color Green
Fall Color Yellow
Pollinator Friendly Yes